A man with a child porn habit has admitted in court to relapsing, asking the magistrate for help to overcome his problem.

The man, an unemployed 48-year-old who lives in St Pauls Bay, had previously been convicted of child porn possession in February. Found to have serious mental issues, he was given a two year suspended sentence for four years.

However, he has now relapsed, with police being informed of the man’s actions and raiding his home after his neighbours reported he had not kicked his habit.

During the raid, police found downloaded pornographic material on his computer showing underage individuals.

In court, he was described as a “vulnerable person who preys on vulnerable individuals,” by Inspector Joseph Busuttil, who emphasised that the man could not be trusted.

Watching child porn was described as this man’s “hobby” where he was especially interested in videos and images showcasing 13 and 14-year-olds. It was noted that the man has a lot of free time on his hands.

The accused told the court that he knew he had a problem and wanted to get over his addiction, but said he could not overcome it alone. He pleaded guilty to downloading child pornography, confirming it after being given time to reconsider his plea.

Legal aid Mario Caruana requested bail, saying there was no third parties involved and sending a vulnerable man to jail would not be beneficial. However, the prosecution objected to it, and Magistrate Victor Axiak denied bail.

He also ordered a pre-sentencing report from a probation officer to decide whether a jail term would be beneficial to the accused.

The report must be completed within two weeks. Until then, the court ordered the man be afforded all necessary care.